The competition for this prestigious award is intense with hundreds of entries from around the globe each year. One of the reasons the Aurora is so highly sought after is because every judge is an industry professional with the highest possible standards. Entries are examined stringently based on artistic and technical merit and must display “excellent values in production and content.” To win one of these awards in particular is a sign that one’s work stands head and shoulders above the rest of the competition and meets or exceeds the standards set by the very best in the film industry.

Not only did The Truth About Drugsdocumentary meet that criteria, judges added as well that they also found this film was created “to be compelling, captivating.”

The Truth About Drugs is the newest component in the Foundation for a Drug-Free World’s educational program, which also features booklets written especially with students in mind. Each booklet focuses on a different drug, including such commonly abused substances as alcohol and prescription medications. They do not “preach” or “lecture” about drugs; instead the approach throughout these materials is one of informing young people especially about what drugs actually do to the body. Producers of these materials say they have deliberately chosen a very straightforward and nonjudgmental approach to what can be a highly charged subject. They wanted to make sure they gave readers and viewers the facts with no curves or twists so that they could make up their own minds about drugs. In order to accomplish this, producers also relied a great deal on the stories told in their own words by those who had used and abused these substances and what happened to their lives.